Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Because of making a promise with Luffy ten years ago, Aurora has left her crew in search for the future Pirate King. Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained crew members. One member being an annoying swordsman who swears up and down he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. Eventual Zoro/OC Rated M

Author's note down below~


VI — Whiskey Peak

.


Night had fallen and the moon was high in the sky as Aurora glared from her perch in the crow's nest. The party was in full swing and the crew was immersed in Whiskey Peak and the inhabitants. Usopp was weaving tales, Nami and Zoro were participating in a drinking contest (easily out-drinking the villagers and were in the process of trying to beat each other), Sanji was swooning over the women, and Luffy was eating every ounce of meat in his sight. When they had lowered their anchor, the mayor of the village had personally introduced himself and welcomed the pirates to Whiskey Peak. Aurora had stayed rooted on the ship, choosing to stay behind and look over the crew instead of making a fool of herself. Igarappoi had looked at the redhead, inviting her to join the rest of her friends, but she immediately declined the offer by turning on her heel. There was nothing in this world that was going to make her go down there.

Aurora didn't trust this island as far as she could throw it.

She crossed her arms, leaning against the mast as she looked out for any threats. There were none and Aurora didn't know if that was a good thing or not. It would be a good thing because that meant the crew wasn't in any danger, but it was bad because she had acted in a most distasteful way. Breathing harshly through her nose, the redhead let her eyes drift towards the starlight sky. She let a small smile tilt her lips upwards; somehow the stars were always able to comfort her.

The redhead turned her gaze back to Whiskey Peak, letting her eyes scan over the giant cacti. What a weird island. Taking a sip of water from her bottle, the young woman closed her eyes for a moment, ears twitching for any sounds that seemed out of sorts. As far as she could tell, there was nothing and Aurora settled against the mast more, her eyes drooping lazily. The party dragged on well into the night and before the redhead knew it, everyone was passed out. The moon had risen to the highest point in the sky and Aurora stretched, giving release to any of her tightened muscles or stiff bones. Poppoppoppop! went her back and neck.

Sighing contentedly, Aurora went back to lean against the mast.

Whoosh!

The teenager gasped, dodging just in time to get out of the way of a dart. Instead of hitting her, it hit the mast, glinting in the silver light of the moon and stars. Aurora looked in the general direction from where the dart came from, but couldn't find anything in the darkness. But the deed was already done and she was on high alert as she surveyed the skies, trying to locate the perpetrator. Aurora ducked her head once more, missing another dart by the skin of her teeth as it embedded itself into the wood of the crow's nest.

"Show yourself!" She exclaimed above her, but they did no such thing. Dammit! There was virtually nothing Aurora could do; she was fighting blind! Thinking fast, the young woman jumped out of the crow's nest, choosing to dive into the water to hide from her attacker. In the end, it only turned out to be a bad idea.

Whoosh!

It's too fast! Damn—! The dart hit her skin seconds before her body hit the water.


"Was there really need to stage a whole welcome party in the first place?" Miss Monday spat at her comrades. "I mean, they're only a bunch of weak brats! We should've just crushed them at the harbor. The town is short enough on supplies as is, and it's not like we can count on getting that whale meat either."

Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 quickly took insult to the jibe. "Don't you talk that way about us!" The blue haired woman snapped.

"That's right! We tried out best, you know!" Mr. 9 piped up.

"Now, now," Mr. 8 interrupted, stopping the three from arguing. "Just calm down for a moment and look at this." He pulled out a few pieces of paper. "I've done my homework about this crew." The three realized that the pieces of paper were in fact bounty posters for the rookie crew. He held the one of the captain up first, showing his partners-in-crime the smiling face of Monkey D. Luffy.

"W-What!? TH-THIRTY MILLION BELI?!" The three cried, taken aback by the excessive bounty. Next he showed the one of the redhead, her eyes practically glowing. She didn't of course have a bounty, but they didn't need it when they saw her name. "AH! IT'S H-HER?!"

"To judge a pirate's strength from his appearances alone is a foolish thing Miss B-ma-maa~ Miss Monday."

"My apologies…"

"But in any case, they're already out cold. This should make an excellent report for the boss. Now that the redhead is unconscious, go confiscate any money or treasures and tie them all up! If we kill them, we'll lose thirty percent of the bounty money. The government would rather have public executions of criminals, after all. As for Boavia, they need that girl alive or else we'll have a whole nation of monsters on our tail." He turned his gaze solely on the blue haired woman, "Now, where is the girl?"

Miss Wednesday's eyes widened when she remembered what had happened to Aurora. "S-She fell in the w-water when I hit h-her!"

The other three kept quiet as they processed her words before Mr. 8's expression turned grave. "We need to find her before she dies!"

"Sorry, but…" the four whipped around at the sound of the voice, "would you mind letting those guys sleep for a bit longer?" The swordsman asked, although not out of the goodness of his heart. "They're all tired from the journey over here."


There was never a time that she could recall where the water scared her.

In some form or fashion, the water had always managed to calm her. As far as she could remember, she had always wanted to sail the ocean just so she could be next to it everyday. Sailing with her father had only strengthen her resolve on the issue.

However, she was anything but calm as the needle hit her skin and her body hit the water. The salt water stung her eyes and wounds. Dammit, is her thought as a numbness settles over her muscles. Her eyes burned, not from the water (although, the water does make it worse), from the influence of whatever the hell was in the dart. Any second now her eyes would close and she would lose herself; in another second, she'll be dead.

Damn, damn, damn, no matter how hard she tried, she can't move and if she can't move then she can't swim and if she can't swim then she can't swim out of the water to get oxygen and if she can't get oxygen she dies. Here. On Whiskey Peak. On an island she's never even heard of. An island that was never on her radar. An island whose inhabitants are bounty hunters. She will die and her new crew will be sold off or killed before they even start their journey.

It was all completely unfair, but at the moment, there was nothing that Aurora could physically do. Her brain could barely make a command for any of her muscles to move despite the fact that they couldn't in the first place, and she was becoming unbearably tired. As panicked as she was, she hasn't felt this relaxed in a year or two. Since the poison wracked through her body, paralyzing her muscles, Aurora felt just like a head; someone could cut her right now and she wouldn't be able to feel a thing.

It was a strange sensation, one that she didn't really quite care for.

Inevitably, her eyelids fell and all that she could see was the image of Luffy's smiling face. There were so many things to think about; thing's that were meaningful. Hell, she could have gave a small and silent sorry for not being able to do something; apologize for letting her guard down. But, what came to her was incredibly stupid and something that she will blame the anesthetic forevermore for even bringing that stupid line to the forefront of her mind.

Infirm of purpose!


cant-not-like this-not-not-no-no-no-not like a candle-not a weakling-we are not weak-we are not—

-like a vanishing light-her body-she is weak-stronger-she needs to get-faster-stronger-needs—

-us-we need-she needs-us-her-help help help-her help her-have to-get stronger-fight-blood—

-sweat-fight-fight-fight-needs to fight-fiGHT-fIGHT-FIGHt-dammit-dammit-damn-hell—

-FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT-wAKe up-wake-wake-WAKe-up-up-Up-UP-WAKE-WAKE-PUSH-PUSh—

-wake-wake-up-up-fight-fight batavi-batavi-push harder-harder-stronger-strong-you are—-

...

Aurora choked, eyes bulging as they opened. With her body as her own once more, the redhead shot out of the water with record breaking speed. She managed to shatter the surface of the ocean, gasping for air like a fool. She coughed, wincing at the particles of salt she could feel lodged in her throat. Hacking, the young woman swam to shore, paying no mind to the slight hinderance as her muscles got use to listening to her brain once more. She dragged her tired body across the shore until she was a respectable distance away from the water.

As of right now, she'd rather not be near it for a couple of minutes as she catches her breath. Just a few minutes and she'll back to her sea loving self—just give her a breather.

Least Aurora now knows that she needs to improve on her speed and Observational Haki.

"Oh God," she wheezed, wet cheek against the cold sand. She never knew a crew to get themselves in this much trouble this early in the Grand Line. Really, that's all thanks to Luffy though. ฿30,000,000 is an amazing feat all in itself; especially getting it while still in the East Blue. Aurora hummed, closing her eyes for a moment as her lungs took in it's sweet, sweet love. Yet, she wasn't stupid—the redhead knew that almost everyone knows that she's joined up with the Straw Hats by now. She is also one of the reasons why danger will greet them at every turn.

Smiling softly, albeit guilty if she was honest, she whispered, "couldn't 'ave been helped if it was helped." She'd be lying if she denied that she was quoting the old hag, but Aurora had to give it to her, the witch had rubbed off on her. Huffing a small laugh, the teenager pushed against the ground, arms shaking as she sat upright. From head to toe she was soaked and half of her body was covered in sand. The weight of her clothes left her feeling uncomfortable. Taking off her button down, she shook it, wringing the excess water from it.

She paused for a moment, ears prickling at the sound of metal and fighting and yelling and gunshots and the redhead wondered what the hell was happening. Then she remembered she was on an island. An island full of bounty hunters. Bounty hunters that wear clothes. And, obviously, they live here or some at least do. So, in that respect, there had to be shops for clothing.

Well, duh, she thought to herself nastily for a second before shrugging. Either way, there were clothes (dry clothes, she reminds herself, quite happy with the revelation if she might add) in Whiskey Peak, and if it means knocking a few heads while she searches for suitable clothing then so be it; makes it more fun anyways. Draping her shirt over her arm, Aurora started back towards the town. Thanks to the noise, she was able to find her way back easily.

Observing from the shadows, the redhead watched as all the bounty hunters raced after the green haired samurai (or as Sanji likes to call him, "marimo"). Debating whether or not to step in, the eighteen year old decided that he had it under control and she really needed to find dry clothes. Hell, maybe she'll be able to find one to replace the favorite she wasn't able to salvage after the events on Fishnette. Creeping along the edges of the village, Aurora made sure to be nothing more than a shadow as to not draw any attention to herself. At one point, she came close to having to fight, but the guy had ended up running right past her hiding spot without noticing the red hair.

She made a face and raised her brows but ultimately shrugged.

Them not paying attention was on them. Aurora continued on her way.

She was able to come across the smallest clothing store she has ever come across and sneaked in without anyone noticing. If there was anyone to notice. Because, let's face it, Zoro is capable, and if he wasn't he wouldn't have spooked some her boys back in the East Blue a while back when he was making a name for himself as a bounty hunter. He's exceptional, she'd give him that, but that was it. Besides, she could at least thank him for taking on the brunt of the work as she rifled through the shirts, trousers, undergarments, and dresses.

In the end, she found a pair of new underwear and a modest training bra her size as well as khaki shorts that stopped mid-thigh and a plum colored crop top that showed off her toned stomach in a flattering way. She picked at the top, noting the material. It was made out of the same stuff as bathing suits so it was stretched comfortably over her breasts and shoulders and molded against her body. With tight lips, Aurora slid on dry socks and put on a new pair of boots (they were dark brown and only came up to her ankles), seeing as her boots and socks were drenched and didn't show any signs of drying as quickly as her other pieces of clothing.

Brushing a hand through her hair and letting the droplets of water run down her shoulders and back, Aurora exited the apparel store, noting the lack of struggle that was present just a few minutes ago. Looking around, she saw that every single bounty hunter was knocked out cold; no one had been safe from Zoro's charge. With her boots in one hand and a bag that contained her wet clothes in the other, she looked around for the male. Her ears pricked at the sound of metal against a sheath and ducked at the katana aimed for her head gracefully. She brought her foot up as she swung around, catching Zoro in the torso and knocking him away from her.

"I knew ya didn't like me, but this is takin' it a bit too far, yeah?" On the outside, Aurora made sure to keep her emotions in check, but on the inside she is quickly losing her temper. Even her shadows are clawing at her to knock the swordsman down a few pegs… or knock him until he's six feet under.

Zoro scowled at the redhead, noticing the things in her hands and the fresh clothing on her person. Her hair looked wet, but he couldn't really tell; her hair, even if it was wet, still defied gravity in it's weird way. His eyes zeroed back on her face when she shifted onto her left foot, scrunching up her nose before turning on her heel and walking away from him. Zoro straightened, following after her in quick, long strides. He sheathed Yubashiri, but kept a hand over it in case.

"I knew there was a reason I liked Sanji betta'," she commented breezily, not caring in being polite anymore. For some reason, her chest hurt, the voices won't shut up, and her eyes are begging to shut. Guess she wasn't back into shape as she had liked to believe. Ugh, why am I so tired all of a sudden? Tucking her boots under her arm that carried the bag, Aurora dragged her hands through her hair once more, pushing it away from her forehead.

Zoro gritted his teeth, taking hold of her wrist in his crushing grip, pushing her back against one of the buildings. He caged her, using his width to his advantage. Still, she wasn't phased with the move, regarding him calmly with those creepy eyes. "I'm not like that shitty cook," he said and he could just see her jaw working a smart-ass reply so he smothered it with his own voice as he continued. "I don't trust you. I don't trust you around my friends. Where the hell were you when the bounty hunters started attacking me?"

He was demanding answers from her, and Aurora, who was one of the most prideful beings that ever graced this earth, squared her shoulders and glowered at him as she answered. "Sorry, I was kinda busy tryin' not ta drown."

The salt water that clung to her body relentlessly surrounded him; surrounded his senses. His nose stung at how strong the scent was, but he refused to back away. He leaned closer to her, trying to intimidate her. "Last time I checked, these weren't the clothes you were wearing before." Zoro tugged at the hem of her top, bringing her brows to kiss her hairline.

"Last time I checked, you weren't God." She spat back, voice as cold as venom on a hot day. Wrenching her wrist from his grasp, Zoro was reminded of how strong she could just be in at the moment. "And quite frankly, I thought you were doing a dandy job. You didn't need help from what I saw."

Her accent was gone and her defenses started rising the more he pushed her. But, instead of taking in the signs of the dangerous lilt of her voice and the rough undertone that promised bad things, Zoro stuck to his guns (or should he say swords?) and focused on the one thing that incriminated her in his mind. "You watched on as I took on a hundred bounty hunters?" Again, at amazing speed (again), her jaw started to work to unleash scornful remarks, but Zoro made sure to silence her as he shoved her against the wall once more. "You didn't think about stepping in to help a crew member."

Why can't he just leave me alone? Aurora thinks as she watches his mouth continue to move, but she hears nothing. Just like when she was under the stillness of the ocean, she heard nothing. It was quiet. Even her own thoughts barely broke through. It was if the adrenaline in her body that helped her escape the cold clutches of Davy Jones' chains was leaving her body, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of the poison that was left in her body to deal with.

Now that she thought about it, since when did the swordsman smelled so good?

It was a slight musk, and not the terrible kind. It was the kind that was pleasant; that made her want to lean into and snuggle, and it was tinged with metal an' blood an' booze.. It reminded her of Benn almost. Except Zoro didn't smoke. And she loved the smell of smoke and she had a really huge crush on Benn because he was strong and constant and unmoving and loyal and—

"handsome."

Zoro's lips stopped moving and he's left befuddled as Aurora stares at him with an intense furrow between her brow and eyes glazed as if dreaming. He knows she isn't calling him handsome because she isn't looking at him. I mean, her eyes are looking in his direction, but it's like she doesn't even know that he's there; that he's there arguing at her, accusing her of borderline mutiny, of not paying special mind to crew's health, and letting her guard down.

Zoro realizes she hasn't heard anything and he's left wondering as Aurora loses herself more in the glaze of her thoughts of what happened to her? Her body has gone slack, leaning agains the wood for support as she continues to stubbornly stand. Then, as he studies her, he's taken back to when the the top dogs had gathered and he remembered a small snippet that had touched on the topic of the redhead.

She had been dosed with some sort of anesthetic. She had fallen into the water and almost drowned. But she's here, she's alive, so why is she acting like it's still affecting her?

Unless it hasn't left her body completely.

Zoro wasn't stupid. He knew the effects of drugs, especially certain poisons, could do to the human body. Well, in a nutshell, he understands. He also understands that adrenaline could kick in and help the person out if need be. It's clear to him that Aurora has been drugged, quite heavily if it's still affecting her like this, and she's coming down from her adrenaline high. Although, she's holding on best she can, she's lost to everything that's happening in the here and now.

And that's why Zoro, having figured it out, let go of her shoulders and watched, with some form of satisfaction (because he hates the redhead like something wicked), as she fell face first into the hard earth. He doesn't regret it, thinking back to when he first saw her falling and caught her, carried her even to the Merry, and wishing he hadn't.

From the very first time he had saw her, Zoro knew something was off about her. To hell with Luffy's claims of the redhead being innocent (Zoro rolled his eyes). Just because his captain trusts a stranger doesn't mean he has to. It doesn't mean that he has to treat her like she's relevant either. Because once he figures everything out, once he finds out every little dirty thing about her, she's gone. Whether it be by his katanas or Luffy's command, he doesn't care.

As long as she's gone that'll be one last thing to worry about.

Zoro walks away, in search of booze, and temporarily forgets about the thorn in his side. For now, it was time to bask in the glow of his victory over the bounty hunters and the knowledge that his captain and friends are alright (even the shitty cook).

Not once does he even let the redhead wiggle into his thoughts as he downs a bottle of liquor, because, quite frankly, he doesn't give a flying fuck about her.


The smoke billows from his mouth effortlessly and even though the smell causes her nose to sting and the back of her throat to burn slightly, she can't help but take comfort in it.

She didn't know when she started harboring a crush on the (waaaaay) older man, but she did and it looked like it wasn't going away anytime soon. So, she's decided to ride it out, see where it goes and a big part of her hopes it goes away because she doesn't need to be crushing on a guy that's the same age as her dad (yuck).

But she can't help the way she notices when he smiles at her, the way he makes a snarky comment to Shanks whenever he (Shanks) says something stupid, the way he holds himself, the way he looks after his captain and the crew even though he has complete faith in his nakama's strength… Aurora quickly averted her eyes from the side of Benn's face, hoping he didn't notice the way her eyes took in his hooked nose, age lines, and the way his black hair curls just slightly at the end.

Yeah, a big part of her just wants this crush to go away, but a small part, the part that seems to have too much power, holds on to the little piece of her heart that has grown especially fond of Benn Beckman, first mate of the Red Haired Pirates; the man that was part of her dad's crew and saw her just like all the rest of the crew members saw her.

Something in her deflated at the thought, but it was true and just like the old hag said "if it's rude, it's true" or "if it bites, it's right". Really, the witch gets on her nerves, but Aurora can't help but admire some of the things that come out her mouth; they're so damn clever.

"Are you alright, little red?" She doesn't need to look to see that it was Benn that sat beside her and it was him that asked.

Aurora, with all her willpower, tries her best to not look at him in fear of him figuring it out that she likes likes him just by looking at her eyes. "I feel a li'l nauseous," and for that the little redhead is proud of herself for coming up with someone so quickly and able to convey a pained voice to go along with her words. Also because she isn't fumbling over her words like an idiot. "It'll pass, but I think I'm goin' ta bed." She hops from her place on the side of the ship, her ten year old self only coming up to Benn's hip as she straightened herself out. With all her might, Aurora is able to flash Benn a mighty grin before heading for the room she shared with her father.

She crawled into bed and the second her head hit the pillow, her face grew as hot as her hair looked. Aurora closed her eyes, but she couldn't help but see Benn's face and then she was stuffing her embarrassed cheeks into the pillow that smelled a lot like saké.

Dammit, she thinks quietly to herself, too afraid to think aloud for fear of actually saying something aloud and humiliating herself further. She flops onto her back and stares up at the ceiling, pays attention to how the waves roll the ship, lulling her mind into a state of calm. Before long she's fell into a light slumber.

She's startled a few moments later when the door opens and thinking it's her father, the little girl thinks nothing of it and falls back into a peaceful slumber. Although, that is not her father's scent and there's a small something being laid beside her head and a large hand (almost like her dad's, but it's too large) brushes through her hair in the same way Shanks sometimes combs a hand through her own hair to lull her to sleep on the worst of nights. Then the hand is gone and so is the presence.

Sitting up, Aurora looks down at what was beside her head and finds a small, nicely wrapped box. She tore it open and found a cross—her cross—the one she thought she lost when some marines had ambushed them one day and the clasp had broke. She thought for sure it was gone, lost in the ocean, but here it was, sitting perfectly content in the small box with a newer chain and a stronger clasp.

There's a card that goes along with it, and with nimble fingers, she picks it up.

Happy birthday, little red.

At the same time, two completely different emotions filled her heart. First there was sadness because Aurora now knew that no matter how old she grew, Benn would always carry a special place within her little heart, even if it is a little crush. She will never be able to get rid of him; will never be able to stop mentally comparing other men to him or not look at all, and in the end, Aurora will always end up being nothing more than "little red" because how could Benn ever see to pursuit a romantic relationship with her in the future when all he saw was his captain's daughter (that's almost become a daughter to him as well)?

But with that sadness comes undeniable joy because Aurora knows that Benn, like Roux, Yasopp, and everyone else, will always be a constant in her life that she could turn to and trust. He will always be there and she will always be his "little red" just like she's Roux's "mischief maker" and Yasopp's "tale-spinner" and Shanks' "firecracker". And in the end, it's the joy that outweighs the sadness because she will always have Benn in her life, and that's better than having a stupid crush on him.

Clasping the cross around her neck, Aurora feels at ease when the necklace finds home on her chest. Smiling widely, she yawns before falling back onto the pillows and falling asleep. When her father stumbles in, although he tries to stay quiet for the sake of not disturbing his daughter, Aurora snuggles close to Shank's chest and invites the warmth she's been distancing herself from for a few weeks. Shanks, not one to decline a hug (especially from his cute little firecracker), welcomes Aurora into his chest, his chin falling and resting on top of her head.

The two sleep like that for the rest of the night. Two heads of red snuggled close to each other. A daughter and her father; a father and his only daughter.

For the first time in her ten years, Aurora didn't wake up until the sun was shining brightly in the sky and she didn't stop the face splitting grin from forming on her face.


Why did her face hurt?

With more wear than she would like to admit, Aurora opened her eyes. At seeing that she was on the ground, the redhead hummed lowly, thoughtfully before she frowned heavily and pushed herself up off the ground the second time that night. Tenderly, she rubbed at her nose and forehead, grumbling under her breath about "shitty swordsman and his shitty swordplay" as she walked back to the Merry. She hoped she wouldn't encounter said shitty swordsman anymore, but knew it was inevitable. They did, after all, live on the same ship.

And it wasn't a very big ship, she thought to herself as she climbs back on Merry. Walking her way to the girl's room, Aurora sat her things down, letting her things hang and dry. Now that she thought about, the redhead couldn't help but think, Is there a laundry room? She didn't know and wasn't really itching to find out.

The good news was that she wasn't tired anymore, but what the hell was she suppose to do now?

Brushing the dirt off her clothes, Aurora was hit with the sudden (and violent) urge to beat the samurai. Biting her tongue, the teenager stalked out of the cabin and marched off the Merry, mission in mind. She was going to go have a talk with that insufferable ass and if it came to blows, then so be it. Aurora was tired of being treated like a fucking bad guy here; there's no way in hell is she going to take it anymore! And she's especially not going to take shit from a stupid ex-bounty hunter when it came to betraying the crew!

Although what she saw in front of her caused her pause and reconsideration.

There's a man and a woman and both are dressed funny and talking to Igarappoi, a blue haired woman, and man with a crown.

The man is dark skinned and his black hair is styled short and spiky in dreadlocks. He wears a brown trench coat with a pink cravat poking out around his neck. Despite it being night, he's wearing sunglasses. The woman is the opposite of her companion. She's pale skinned with blonde hair. Her eyes are green and she's dressed in a yellow dress with lemons on them. Her ears are also pierced with lemon earrings and it's then that Aurora is struck with the urge to laugh at them.

She doesn't, but she can't help the amused smile that's graced her face.

Aurora coughs, catching their attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but ah-ha-who are you two?" She's slightly behind Igarappoi and boy, the man looks worse for wear if she might add. Zoro really did a number on you guys. Focusing her gaze back on the two newcomers, Aurora's smile stays in place but keeps her guard raised. These were not friends, but enemies and she's going have to be careful; especially around the two new ones.

A snore catches her attention and then her eyes are looking at her unconscious captain and she can't help but let a small laugh escape her because, really, this whole thing just seems so ridiculous. It's a like a dream or something, but it's not because her skin is prickling and her instincts are telling her to start tearing into these strangers.

"DIE! IGARAPPAPPA!" Igarappoi uses the distraction to get up and attack, sending explosive bullets at the two newcomers.

Aurora stepped back, chakrams now in her hands as she watched the events unfold.

"IGARAM!" The blue haired female screeches.

"Igaram?"

"PLEASE RUN AWAY!" The mayor, now known as Igaram, screams, quite set on letting his comrade runaway to safety.

"Kyahaha! How futile!" The woman in lemons came falling from the air and kicked the other in the head, breaking the tie that kept her hair back, blue hair spilling and framing her face.

Aurora's eyes widened. She couldn't stop the words coming from her mouth as she stepped forward and took the young woman's arm, "What the hell, Vivi?" Vivi looked just as surprise to see the redhead, but Aurora didn't waste any time and pulled the younger closer to her, shielding her away from the two strangers.

"The name of the spy is Igaram, head of Alabasta Kingdom's Royal Guards!" The man with sunglasses said, causing Aurora to grit her teeth and keep a strong grip on her old friend's arm. "And the second spy is none other than Alabasta's princess herself, Nefertari Vivi!"

Aurora barely paid mind to, but was still able to see Zoro grab an unharmed and still sleeping Luffy out of the fray as Vivi's companion fell on his face, bowing to her or in shock (really, Aurora couldn't tell and didn't care). "Now's not the time for this, Mister Nine!" Vivi's yells.

"Under the direct orders of our boss, we shall hereby eliminate you two!" Dreadlocks spoke, sticking a finger up his nose.

That was when Aurora lunged forward, bringing her chakrams down, intent on splitting the male in half. "I don't think so!"

The man dodged her attack, but she kept going at him, trying to land a hit on the guy. Finally, she did, but it only ended up backfiring in her face. She was sent flying a few feet away, her arms stinging from the explosive attack. Rubbing at her wounds, Aurora stood back up, intent on finishing the guy with sunglasses. Just as she was going to start another series of attacks, Mr. 9, as Vivi had called him, rushed at Dreadlocks. Leaving the guy to Mr. 9, Aurora ran back towards Vivi, snatching the young girl's wrist and dragging her along.

"What kin' of shit did ya get yourself in, Vivs?!" Aurora howled, but it was drowned out by an explosion and even though she could feel Vivi stop, Aurora kept pushing until she was practically dragging the young woman behind her. Rounding a corner, Aurora barged into a building that looked untouched by battle, dodging behind the countertop and bringing the blue haired woman beside her.

She's crying, Aurora notes, but the redhead pushes it aside the same way she brushes the tears from Vivi's cheeks. "Don't start tha' now," she whispers, voice soft. Brown eyes meet her own and Aurora brings the young woman into a long awaited embrace. Vivi clenches to her, crushing her as much as Aurora is trying not to. "Ev'rythin's goin' ta be fine, Vivi." And everything will be because Vivi is her friend and she would kill anyone that would try to bring harm to a friend.

"I-I can't believe it's y-you," comes Vivi's voice, but now it's all shaky. "I-I never thought—I-I thought—but you're h-ere… i-it's really you." The hold she has on the redhead tightens, but Aurora doesn't mind it.

She chuckles. "Yeah, well believe it." Her words come out muffled against Vivi's blue hair. "Your hair has gotten long," she states, trying to lighten the mood.

"And there's braids in yours." Vivi pulls back, taking one in her hand, taking in the oddly intricate design of the braid and the small silver trinket at the end. Of course that's not the only difference between the twelve year old she met and the eighteen year old now, but Vivi doesn't want to draw attention to the tattoos or scars.

"Vivs," brown eyes meet dawn and Aurora is struck by how different they are then when they were children, "you've gotta tell me what jus' happen'd."

"I-I can't!" Aurora shushes her loud exclamation, putting a hand over Vivi's mouth. "It's too dangerous for you," she says more quietly after the other removes her hand.

Aurora grins and Vivi is taken aback at how feral it looks, especially with how the moon casts a shadow across her face. "'ave ya forgotten who I am, Vi?"

Numbly, the girl shakes her head. No, she hasn't forgotten and Vivi doubts she ever will now. At the moment, she's struck with how much her friend has grown and is then reminded of her own growth. This woman before her is not the twelve year old she had gotten to befriend six years ago. Hell, it didn't even feel like six years; to Vivi, it feels just like yesterday when the two of them met and Vivi would never trade that memory up for anything. In short, it had been one the best and most memorable days of her life. Meeting Aurora had been like meeting a wild animal, full of knowledge and a penchant of freedom.

And in the halls of the castle, Aurora had looked so—

(empty)

lost.

"Alabasta is at war," Vivi finally says, licking her suddenly dry lips. "Someone has framed my father and my kingdom is divided. My people are killing one another." She tries to say as calmly as it is said in her head, but Vivi can't help the strangled sob when she says "killing" or how her voice wobbles.

Aurora takes in the news, staring at the young woman before her. The young woman that has risked her life for her people. The young woman that has risked her life to find out who has done her people wrong. The young woman who has become so strong, that has gotten so for her people. The young woman who's trying so hard not to cry because she can't break now, she can't. She's so close and Aurora can taste the determination that rolls off of Vivi, but she can also taste the sadness and restraint. That's why the redhead wraps her arms around the female again, letting her cry.

"Like I said, ev'rythin' will be alright." Aurora's afraid to talk too loud, so she settles for whispering. "It'sokay ta cry. I'm 'ere, Vivs, I'm right 'ere."

It was a few minutes until Vivi tucked in her bottom lip and forced herself to stop crying because she's a grown woman now; she can't afford to cry. Her people need her to be strong; she can't break down anymore. No matter how warm and comforting Aurora is or how the hand rubbing her back soothes her or how her low voice coaxes said emotions out. No, Vivi will just have to plow through. So, untangling from the motherly embrace Aurora had dragged her into, Vivi wiped away the remnants of her tears.

Then she remembers that she was the one that had shot Aurora with a poison dart and had almost caused the redhead's untimely death. She couldn't help the hasty apology that tumbles out of her mouth, but the redhead just waves her off as she smirks, blatantly shrugging off the incident.

"Good shot though," Aurora says in return, lips stretching into a full grin. Then her face goes back to being serious and the atmosphere changes. "They said you figured out there boss' identity." And Vivi knows it'll be a bad idea for her to give that sort of information to the redhead, but Aurora continues on, ignoring the wince. "Tell me who, Vivi. Who's tha head honcho?"

Maybe it's the assertive tone she takes when she's asking the question or how she's hold Vivi's shoulders in her calloused grip, but Vivi feels awfully small at the moment and she utters the name that has caused her kingdom so much grief. "Crocodile," she whispers, brown eyes narrowing after the name leaves her lips. "He goes by Mister Zero in Baroque Works."

Aurora's brows shoot up to kiss her hairline before lowering. There's a furrow between those red brow's now and she stares at Vivi with a kind of resolve the blue haired female wished she could scavenge up. "Then you're gonna need some help bringin' down a Shichibaka." Vivi can't help but laugh at the redhead's obvious insult on the title. "Com'on, we can't keep hidin'. Their gonna find us eventually an' I'd rather it be out in tha open." Vivi head the underlining "not like cowards" at the end, but didn't say anymore and followed the redhead's lead.

It seems as though the dynamics haven't changed at least.

Which is kind of a relief because that means they wouldn't have to go through the awkward process of getting to know one another. It was like they had picked up where they had left off, and both females were thankful for that.

"There you are," came Dreadlock's voice. The two looked in his direction and drew their respective weapons. Aurora with chakrams and Vivi with peacock slashers. "My orders are to only kill that fool Igaram and the princess, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun throwing a few punches your way, red." He says coolly.

"You mean you can try," Aurora bite backs viciously, that feral (scary) grin breaking out on her face.

"Heh," Dreadlocks scoffs, "funny. You think you have a chance against me. See, I'm a human bomb that can make any part of my body explode—" huh, that explains that— "with this ability bestowed upon me by the Bomb-Bomb fruit, there's not a single mission I've failed at!" At this, he sticks a finger up his nose like last time, but this time he was able to flick it. "Nose Fancy Cannon!"

Preparing to cut through the booger bomb, Aurora stepped in front of Vivi, blocking her in case things didn't go as planned.

And things didn't, but not in the way she had expected.

Zoro had, seemingly, came out of nowhere and stole the spotlight. The two halves, as predicted, ended up being sent to opposite sides, missing them by a few feet and hitting the ground. As suspicious as it was, Aurora couldn't deny that Zoro had helped them (and Aurora used the word "them" loosely).

Vivi was shocked that the man that had been swatting at them like flies earlier had protected her; they were enemies not too long ago—why was he helping her all of a sudden?

This wasn't like what she and Aurora had—they knew each other since they were kids and were best friends. If she asked, Vivi would crawl through hell with Aurora, but Aurora wouldn't. Aurora would instead crawl through hell for Vivi it seems (considering the fact that she learned Baroque Work's boss' name and took on the challenge of helping her take him down). But the samurai? He didn't hold any special place in her heart or her mind, so why was he here?

Possibly to protect Aurora?

Although, looking at said redhead didn't back up that particular claim. She looked ready to take a slice out of the swordsman instead of thanking him.

"I can't believe I had to cut a freakin' booger!" Zoro ranted, obviously frustrated with how the events were unfolding.

"You didn't 'ave ta cut anythin' if ya just left ya stupid head outta it!" Aurora shouted, sneering at the marimo's head.

He didn't even look back when he bit back, "I'm here to save the girl."

"Save me?" Vivi asked, taken aback by the declaration. The only people here that was trying to save her was Igaram, Mr. 9, and Aurora. There's no green haired swordsman on the list.

"Save her?" Aurora echoes, cheeks flaring an ugly shade of red. "What tha hell for?" He ignored her. "Shitty samurai, I'm talkin' ta ya!"

"You're the swordsman that defeated all the low-ranking agents in this town, aren't you?" Dreadlocks broke in, arms crossed. "Why would someone like you be trying to protect Alabasta's princess?"

"I have my own circumstances."

"Tha hell ya do!" Aurora clipped hotly at Zoro's answer.

"Would you shut up?!"

"Sod off!"

"And you, red," Aurora turned when the guy addressed her. "Why are you helping her?"

Aurora scoffed. "Because I can, shit-face." If the old hag had heard that, Aurora would have gotten a pinch in her side. Mentally, she winced because damn the witch's fingers were tough, and nobody can say that it's stupid when they've never been pinched by the hag.

"Well," Dreadlocks was unconcerned with the insult, "whatever. You're in our way in any case."

"Kyahaha!" Aurora would hate to say it, but that doesn't make it any less true: she had overlooked Dreadlocks' companion and was slightly startled (but hid it very well, she might add) when she laughed. "That's right. Since you're in our way…" the woman closed her umbrella and took off her hat, giving the three a dazzling smile, "allow me to bury your face under the ground with my ability."

"Kinky," Aurora couldn't help but retort. She saw Vivi's face break and a line of pink broke across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

"ZOROOOOOOO!"

"Luffy?" The swordsman just gave his captain a lazy grin. "What is it? If it's about help, then I don't need it. Or do you owe that woman something as well?"

For some reason, Aurora got the distinct impression that Luffy was pissed off.

"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! FIGHT ME!"

Aurora was right.

"WHAT KIND OF IDIOTIC THINGS ARE YOU SPOUTING AGAIN?!"

"SHUTTUP! AN UNGRATEFUL BASTARD LIKE YOU NEEDS TO GET HIS ASS KICKED!"

That surely had Zoro dumbfounded. "Ungrateful?" The hell did that mean? He wasn't ungrateful.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Although, Luffy thinks that he is. "I can't ever forgive you… HOW DARE YOU CUT UP EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE TOWNSPEOPLE AFTER THEY GAVE US SUCH A FRIENDLY WELCOME AND FED US SO MUCH YUMMY FOOD!"

Aurora tried to reign in her laughter, really she did, but she couldn't help that a few laughs slipped past her lips. Everything about this night was just so stupid and absurd. Of course Luffy would take up for the bounty hunters (especially since he didn't know they were such) after Zoro cut them down for seemingly no reason at all. It's funny because in a way, she's seeing that the shitty swordsman is getting karma for treating her badly, and she's never seen someone take up for the bad guy under the guise of an innocent civilian because they gave them free food and threw them a party. It's just, really really funny and Aurora's trying to keep it together.

She needs to tell Luffy he's got it all wrong.

But that doesn't mean she can't let Luffy get in a few good punches, right?

"Luffy, listen to me," Zoro starts, "those townspeople were actually—"

In a flash, Luffy was on Zoro. (Although, how he moved that fast considering all that food weighing him down will always be a mystery to Aurora). "DON'T MAKE ANY EXCUSES!"

Luffy swings and Aurora swings herself and Vivi out of the way when Zoro dodges. The fist ends up leaving a crater. "Are you trying to kill me?!" Okay, maybe hearing the small crack in Zoro's voice wasn't such a good idea because if before she was trying not to laugh then Aurora's dying and will probably bust her gut while holding in her laughter.

"Yeah, die!"

Hearing the stone cold sincerity in Luffy's voice causes the redhead to sober up real quick. Luffy actually meant that to his crew-mate; his nakama. And despite the fact that she hates Zoro (she never knew she could hate someone as much as she does him), Aurora can't let Luffy do that. So, the redhead lunged into the frying pan. Coating her arm in Armament Haki, Aurora deflected one of Luffy's fists while grabbing the other one.

"Luffy, listen ta me!" She roared, bringing his angry gaze to hers. "Those townspeople are bounty hunters! They were going ta hurt ya! Tha bounty hunters threw this welcome party as a trap, so they could turn ya in and collect tha bounty. Zoro was protecting tha crew, monkey."

"Really?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Oh, okay. Sorry Zoro."

"Tch. It's alright."

And that was that.

What has Aurora joined up with? Vivi thought to herself, looking at the three with wide and fazed eyes.

"Sorry Luffy."

"Huh?"

Aurora took the opportunity of Luffy being a balloon and the two weirdos weren't really paying attention (or they wouldn't see it coming). Either way, it was a good plan for now, so with all her might, Aurora coated her arm in Armament Haki and punched Luffy's stomach. It was like hitting a big bouncy ball now that the redhead thought about it. Luffy practically soared, his rubber body slamming into Dreadlocks and his companion into a building. Aurora whistled, dusting her hands off nonchalantly.

She turned halfway, giving a winning smile to Vivi. "So, what's their names again?" The redhead asked, feeling like she shouldn't keep calling them "Dreadlocks and his companion (or lemon)".

"Mister Five and Miss Valentine," Vivi answers, jaw slack from the pure power that exuded the young woman. Things have indeed not changed, not at all.

There was an explosion and then a body was up high.

"I've had enough!" The newly dubbed Ms. Valentine screeches. "Let me kill you off already! With my Kilo-Kilo fruit ability, that is! Kyaahahaha!" There was that annoying, high pitched laugh. "Prepare yourselves! Right now, my weight is only one kilogram, allowing me to float just from the shockwave created by an explosion! But now I'll…"

"What is it with bad guys and revealing all their tricks?" Aurora mumbled under her breath, twirling her chakrams idly as she watched Ms. Valentine fall to the ground.

"Watch out!" Vivi warned. "Miss Valentine can—"

"—gain an' lose a massive amount of weight at will?" Aurora finished, eyes fixed upon the woman in question. "Don't worry so much, Vi. I've got this." Then Aurora was meeting Valentine head on, body twisting in the air as she brought her chakrams up, swinging them at the female's head. Valentine was able to move her head away in time, but Aurora followed up with a punch in Valentine's jaw. Aurora grinned as she fell back to the ground, landing back on her feet like a cat.

She and Valentine eyes met. Then, the blonde was falling to the ground with more speed than what she had initially. Sheathing her chakrams, Aurora took in a deep breath, right arm coated with Armament, and punched the blonde in the chest, knocking her back into a building.

"Why'd you do that, Rory?!" Luffy yelled. He walked towards the redhead, dropping a bloody and battered Mr. 5 on the way. There was a small pout on his lips, causing Aurora to smile a little.

"Sorry, Luffy, but I needed a distraction." He was now back to his normal size, so Aurora slung an arm around his shoulders, bringing the shorter teenager into her side. "I'd like for you to meet a good friend of mine, monkey. This is Vivi," she gestured the blue haired woman standing off to the side, dirty and bruised.

"Hi," Vivi waved shyly, hoping that he didn't remember who she was. The princess really didn't need to be reminded that she tried to kill a whale the boy and his crew befriended.

"Her home's in a shitload of trouble," Aurora continued, dragging Luffy's eyes back to her own. "She needs our help, Luffs. Please?" There was no doubt in her mind that Luffy will agree, but a small part of her didn't share the same sentiment.

There was barely a second before Luffy replied with a, "Sure, Rory! Hey, was she part of your crew? Is that how you two know each other?!" Then there were stars in his eyes that Aurora couldn't help but laugh at.

"Let's go, Miss Valentine!"

"Roger, Mister Five!"

Zoro, Luffy, and Aurora turned to the two gunning for them. "God, you two are annoying," the three said in unison, all glowering monstrously at the Baroque Works members. "Get out of our way!" The three bulldozed over the two, sending them flying. Aurora huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she straightened.

"Who the hell are they, anyways?"

"Some guys in some organization called Barbecue Works," Aurora answered Luffy's question.

"Baroque Works, Aurora," Vivi cut in, sweat dropping at the female's blatant disregard of names. Aurora shrugged carelessly, throwing a wild grin her way before the redhead approached her friend.

"What the heck took you guys so long?!" Came a very familiar shriek. Aurora turned in time to see Nami clock both Luffy and Zoro on the head. She hid her smile at seeing the swordsman irritated scowl. "Forget it, it doesn't matter. At least the girl is safe." Then she grabbed the boys by the scruff of their shirts, yelling in their faces, "But you were so close in costing me my one billion beli! Do you understand?!"

"What tha hell are ya talkin' 'bout, Nami?" Aurora questioned, eyes narrowing.

Vivi was just as confused and she was still reeling over the fact that the swordsman had helped her. "What're you talking about? And why did you save me?"

Putting on her best face, Nami gave the princess a pleasant smile. "Ah," she sighed, "that's right. You don't know anything yet. How would you like to make a contract with me?"

Aurora's only known Nami for about a day and a few hours, but she already knew that was a bad idea. Vivi's brows furrowed. "A contract?"

"Whatever tha hell it is, forget it, Nami," Aurora hissed, taking a protective step in front of Vivi. "Vivi doesn't owe ya anythin'."

"All I'm saying is that she should feel more grateful that we stepped in while we did," the navigator tried to reason. "And what better way to do than award us a billion beli?"

"I refuse," came the princess' voice before Aurora could say anything in her stead. "But you have my gratitude for helping me." As appreciative she is for Aurora stepping up for her, Vivi could fight her own battles; she hasn't been sitting around twiddling her thumbs the past six years.

"What, why? You're a princess, right?!" Nami, obviously exasperated, pushed. "A billion beli should be like nothing for a princess…"

"Have you heard of a kingdom called Alabasta?"

"No, can't say that I have." Nami crossed her arms.

"It's a highly civilized county within the Grand Line, and it used to be a peaceful one at that too… but it feels like that was a long time ago." Aurora settled a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, keeping a close eye and ear on how Vivi delivers the news. "The past few years have been mired by revolutionary activities. Due to radical Alabastian Revolutionaries, my country is currently in a state of chaos. One day, I happened to hear of a certain organization. That name of that organization was Baroque Works. Apparently, it was Baroque Works who had been instigating the Revolutionaries. But other than that fact, I didn't know anything else nor could I do anything about Baroque Works."

"What about B—your allies?" Aurora asked, making sure to cover up her slip up as fast and as smoothly as she could without the others noticing.

Vivi, seeming to understand the tone in her voice, answered carefully. "When I called for help, they said it wasn't their problem. They abandoned us." The grip on her shoulder disappeared as Aurora shoved her hands in her pockets. From how close she stood, Vivi could feel the fury the redhead was doing a good job of hiding. "The only person I could trust at that point was Igaram, so I made a request."

"You mean that guy with the Chikuwa hair?" Luffy asked, oblivious to the rising tension, and disregarding the complete seriousness of the situation without meaning to.

Vivi ignored his question and continued her tale. "Even though what I had heard may or may not be just a rumor, I asked Igaram if there were a way I could infiltrate Baroque Works… because that would be the only way to clear away the dark shadow that looms over Alabasta and determine just what exactly is Baroque Work's objective once and for all."

"Well, aren't you a brave princess," Zoro commented idly, keeping an eye on Aurora who was trying her best to show no emotions she might be feeling.

"So what exactly is the deal with this "creation of an ideal nation" that Baroque Works is apparently scheming towards?" Nami asked before it hit her. "Wait, don't tell me…"

"Yes, it's as you might suspect." Vivi confirmed, nodding her head. Her hands clenched, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. "Although the boss has hinted at a goal of creating an ideal nation, Baroque Works' true objective is to take over the Kingdom of Alabasta! And if I don't hurry back to my home country to stop the Revolutionaries and tell my people about Baroque Works, things will go exactly as they planned!"

"I see," Nami breathed, looking at Vivi in a new light. "I guess that explains why you refused. A country in the middle of a civil war wouldn't have any money to spare." In the deepest part of her stomach, Nami felt guilty for asking for anything.

"So…" Luffy trailed, teeth showing as he smiled. "Who is this boss dude anyways?"

Vivi had to force herself to not swallow her tongue in shock. "You mean the boss' true identity?! Please don't ask me! In fact, you're better off not knowing! If you knew, Baroque Works would come and hunt you down—"

"Crocodile," Aurora murmured, cutting Vivi off. "His name is Sir Crocodile and he's one of the Shichibaka's." No one missed the venom she used to spit the name out.

"No, Aurora! I didn't want to drag you into this!" Vivi yelled, eyes wide because oh God there's no backing out now; Aurora could die and it was all her fault.

"Like hell I'm going to sit back and watch as my friend dies," came the redhead's retort. Vivi flinched at the volume and power behind the redhead's words. "Tha fuck?" When Aurora turned so did the others, finding two animals looking at them on top of a building. There was a vulture and an otter. Both wore black tinted eyewear, but the otter was the only one that wore a light blue coat with purple dots on it. The otter and culture exchanged a look before the otter hopped on the scavenger's back, prompting the vulture to fly off.

"WHAT WAS THAT BIRD AND OTTER JUST NOW?!" Nami grabbed ahold of Vivi's coat, shaking the princess as tears leaked from both of their eyes. "DID THEY GO REPORT THAT WE KNOW THE BOSS' SECRET IDENTITY? WELL? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO US NOW?! WHAT THE HELL AURORA?!" Then she turned on the redhead, getting in the woman's space. "WHY WOULD YOU JUST BLURT OUT HIS NAME?! NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE HUNTED DOWN!"

Aurora said nothing. She just stared at the carrot top with a blank look on her face.

"We just barely entered the Grand Line and already we have a Shichibukai chasing after us!" Nami started wiping at the fear tears that were collecting on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry—so sorry!" Vivi stuttered. "I shouldn't have told Aurora. It's my fault! I didn't think—I didn't know—I'm so sorry!"

"Stop apologizin'," the redhead demanded, voice strong. "I thought I told ya I wasn't gonna abandon ya?"

"Hey, I wonder what kind of guy this Crocodile is?" Luffy asked, a crazed gleam in his eyes.

"I guess we're real lucky to be able to meet him so early," Zoro commented listlessly, a dangerous expression coming over his face.

"SHUT UP, YOU TWO!" Nami roared, forgoing the task and wiping her tears. "It's been a real short time traveling with you but bye!" The navigator didn't so much as give them a backwards wave as she started walking away.

Luffy called after her. "Where're ya going, Nami?"

"They don't know my face yet so I'm running away!" She paused and Aurora looked ahead and saw that the otter and vulture was back, the little otter scribbling on a notepad. Then the little animal turned the papers in its cute little hands, showing that the little guy had drew the four Straw Hats. "Wow, you're good!" Nami praised honestly, and Aurora couldn't have agreed more; the otter had real talent, she'd give it that. The otter hopped back on its partners back and the vulture flew off once more.

Turning on her heel, Nami stomped back towards the small group. "NOW I CAN'T EVEN RUN AWAY!"

"Unless ya planned on swimmin' ta tha islan', there's no place ta run to," Aurora observed lazily.

"In any case," Zoro cut in, "all four of us are now on Baroque Works' hit list. We can't change that." Although he didn't seem too upset over the prospect.

"This is so coooool!" Luffy beamed.

At some point, Nami had curled in on herself and Vivi went over to comfort the navigator. She'll be alright, Aurora thought to herself.

"FEAR NOT!" Everyone turned their attention on Igaram. Except, this was not the Igaram with the large blonde curls in a too short suit. This Igaram was dressed (quite crudely, Aurora might add) like Vivi. "It'll be arri-ma ma maa~! It'll be alright! I have a plan!" He was holding four dummies under his arms and Aurora could take a guess on what the plan was.

"Igaram?!" Poor Vivi, she's been through a lot. And seeing the man she's known since she could remember dressed as her was a little weird. "W-What's with that outfit!?" Did it really look like that on her?

"Whoa! You can definitely pull off that look!" Glad to know Luffy was the guy to go to if one needed a self-esteem boost.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Nami sighed.

"Enough about that," Igaram said, the lightheartedness that was about to settle now disappearing as his face turned serious. "Listen to me. Once the Baroque Works network learns of what happened, they'll be sure to send pursuers right away. More so, since you even defeated Mister Five and his partner! Just to let you know, although the boss has no bounty on him since he's now a member of the Shichibukai, back in his heydays as a pirate, Crocodile had an eighty million beli bounty." A pause. "By the way, have you decided on whether or not to safely escort the princess back to Alabasta yet?"

"Yes," Aurora immediately answered, crossing her arms and she stood beside Vivi. "I swear to you that Vivi will make it back to Alabasta alive and well." To make sure that Igaram knew exactly how serious she was, Aurora crossed an arm over her chest and bowed. "This is my oath to you, Igaram."

"Aurora…" Vivi gasped under her breath, recognizing the bow and the tremendous meaning behind the simple act.

Igaram squinted his eyes at the redhead when she straightened from her bow. "It is you…" he breathed silently to himself. "Thank you."

Aurora nodded. "That's not a problem," she said, turning to Luffy, "right, Captain?"

"Fine by me," laughed the rubber boy.

"EIGHTY MILLION?! THAT'S FOUR TIMES ARLONG'S BOUNTY! JUST REFUSE HIS REQUEST!"

Everyone ignored Nami's outburst in favor of paying attention to Igaram. "Now then, Princess. Please hand me the eternal pose to Alabasta." Vivi handed over the pose.

"Eternal pose? What's that?" Despite her fear, Nami's curiosity won.

"You don't know? Simply put, it's a log pose that can eternally record a magnetic field. A normal log pose records the magnetic field of an island to guide a ship from island to island. However, the magnetic field recorded by an eternal pose is never forgotten. No matter where you go, it will only point to that very island. That is what an eternal pose is. This one in particular has recoded the magnetic field of Alabasta." Done with his short explanation, Igaram set his attention back on Vivi. "Now then, Princess Vivi. I shall take this log pose and set forth for Alabasta, while dressed as you and taking these four dummies to represent these four wanted pirates.

"And while agents of Baroque Works chase after me, you are to travel on the normal route to Alabasta on their ship. I have't sailed to Alabasta using the normal route myself, but there should be around two or three logs to record along the way. Take care, and may we meet again in our homeland."

The four pirates and princess followed Igaram as he walked to the dock behind Cactus Island. Once he had the dummies settled and the small ship ready to sail, Igaram turned back to the group. "I hereby leave the princess in your care." He sent a look to Aurora and she nodded, dawn sky eyes shining in the dark.

"I bet you'll totally fool them!"

"Fool who?"

Igaram ignored the two, taking Vivi's hand in his own. "The journey ahead of you may be dangerous so please be careful," he said, giving the young woman a smile.

"You too, Igaram."

And with a final look, Igaram was off, sailing off into the fading night. "Aww, he left," Luffy whined when Igaram was a distance away. "He was such a funny guy too."

Aurora looked over at her captain and found that there was a trace of pout on the seventeen year old's face. Smiling, the redhead looked back at Igaram's retreating boat. "He's always been so dependable," Vivi said, smiling widely.

Finally, peace. It's been such a long night. Closing her eyes, Aurora breathed in a large breath of fresh air. Now to gather up the rest of the crew and—

BOOM!

The ship—Igaram's ship—was consumed in an unholy fire. Along with the ship, Igaram was consumed as well.

There was no way he would be able to survive an explosion like that—it was just too big, too destructive. It lit the sky as if it was day. There was just no way…

"He was a fine man!" Luffy proclaimed. "Nami! How's the log?!"

"I-It finished recording!"

"Then let's hurry up and get going!"

Aurora didn't need to be told twice. With her hand clamping tightly to Vivi's wrist, the redhead followed after Luffy, Zoro and Nami. Not once did she look back; there was no time. She could feel the pain that was shooting through Vivi's body. Could feel it like it was her own. But there was no time right now. Run now and grieve later. But that didn't mean Aurora couldn't offer some comforting words for Vivi to mull over. "Igaram's death will not be in vain, that I swear to you, Princess!"

Zoro, Nami, Vivi, and Aurora went off to the Merry as Luffy went to collect Usopp and Sanji. Aurora let Vivi go up the ladder first, then let Nami slide up as well. She looked at Zoro then, and the swordsman stared back. Aurora bit her tongue, nodded her head and climbed up on the deck. She saw Nami had embraced Vivi, comforting the girl.

Without delay, Aurora climbed up to the sails, unfurling the fabric as Zoro pulled the anchor up from it's watery resting place.

"Wait, where's Carue?!" Aurora jumped down, eyes connecting with Vivi's as she said, "I can't leave without him!"

"Quack!" Well, least some luck was on their side. The oversized duck landed on the deck, feathers ruffled and looking a little worn. Vivi encircled her arms around the fowl as the duck nuzzled his owner.

Thank you, God. Aurora let herself sigh before Luffy got on board, dragging Sanji by his leg and Usopp by his nose. Thank you! If she didn't feel emotionally exhausted, she would cry out in relief. But now was not the time to celebrate.

"Turn the boat around to head down this river and we should be able to reach the ocean! We have to leave as quickly as possible!"

"Hey, so how many guys are gonna come after us?" A reasonable question.

"I can't say for sure, but there's reportedly two thousand people working for Baroque Works, and towns like Whiskey Peak aren't uncommon either…" Vivi answered as truthfully as she could.

"You mean we could have a thousand people after us?!" Again, Aurora expected more of reaction out of Nami, but the navigator was doing pretty good.

"It's possible considering how serious knowing the boss' real identity is."

That was about the time Sanji and Usopp came to, screaming their heads off of how unfair it was that they had to leave so early. Can't we at least stay a little longer? They had so many cute girls! He's right! And there's no telling when we'll be able to come across a town as nice as this one! For heaven's sake, the sun hasn't even risen yet! Let's wait till morning!

"I think you oughta go explain to them what happened," Zoro told Nami.

"Consider it done." Aurora hadn't been paying attention, but considering the silence that fell suddenly, then that could only mean that Nami resorted to her handy dandy knuckles to do the talking.

"Be careful not to crash your ship into the rocks near the shore." Aurora whirled around with the rest of the crew, heart stopping in her chest at the sight of the woman sitting on top of the railing that led to the galley. "And congratulations on your escape."

Aurora reached for her pistol; the one weapon she's never really used simply because it might be broken and backfire. She rested a hand there, ready to shoot the woman at any indications of ill-will towards her crew.

"I must tell you Miss Wednesday," came the stranger's smooth voice, "I met up with Mister Eight just a little while ago…"

"Are you saying… it was you who did that to Igaram!?" Glancing over, Vivi's eyes were wide and a shadow of fear passed over her face. Her friend's reaction only caused Aurora to feel more anger, gripping tightly at the small weapon.

"Hey! Why're you on our ship anyways!?"

If she did do what she said what happened, then she's here to dispose of Vivi and us, Aurora answered, but kept it to herself, throat suddenly running dry. There was something off about this woman; something was off with how she held herself and how she felt. Aurora couldn't feel anything from her; nothing. It was like the woman was a ghost.

In a burst of rage, Vivi yelled, "WHAT'RE YOU DOING ALL THE WAY OUT HERE, MISS ALL-SUNDAY?!"

"Who is she? Whose partner is she?!" Nami asked, panicked.

"She's Mister Zero's partner! She's the only one who knows the boss' true identity, which is why Igaram and I tailed after her to find out who the boss was as well!"

"Well technically, it was more like I let you tail after me."

Like a trap? The redhead couldn't help but think, a bead of sweat trailing down the side of her face.

"Oh, so she's a good guy."

"Don't think so, Luffy."

"I already knew that!" Vivi ignored the side conversation. Her focus on on Miss All-Sunday alone. "And I bet you're the one who told the boss that his identity was leaked!"

"Oh, so she's a bad guy!"

"On the money, monkey."

"JUST WHAT EXACTLY IS YOU OBJECTIVE?!"

There was a hint of laughter in Miss All-Sunday's voice as she answered. "Now, now. There's no need to get so worked up. I only let you follow me because you looked so desperate… and it was just too amusing to observe. A single princess who foolishly thinks she can take on the entire Baroque Works organization and save her kingdom…"

Aurora didn't know what caused her to drop her stance or for her muscles to relax, but there was something in the way Miss All-Sunday spoke; something that caused her pause. There was no emotion in her gaze as she stared the princess down, but it wasn't the sociopathic kind. It wasn't the kind of gaze a cold hearted murderer, hungry for more death, looked at you with. It was like, she was trying to come off as such. But her eyes—her blue, blue eyes…

"DON'T YOU UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

But then the feeling was gone and Aurora was reaching for her pistol, aiming it at the woman who dared to kill Igaram; who dared to cause any sort of pain to Vivi. There was a click and if the woman so much as moved an inch, Aurora would be so inclined to put a bullet through her head. Aurora barely registered that Sanji and Usopp were up and pointing their respective weapons at the intruder as well.

"Would you please mind not pointing such dangerous weapons at me?" Miss All-Sunday didn't move, but Aurora knew she was the cause that Sanji and Usopp were falling over the railing, there backs meeting the hard wood of the deck. Something wrapped around Aurora, keeping her in place. Whatever had a hold of her held her tightly and there were no signs of letting go anytime soon. Her pistol clambered to the ground as she struggled to get air in her lungs.

"A Devil Fruit!"

"Fufufu…" the woman laughs and something grabs Aurora's hair, pulling her head back up to meet the stranger's eyes. "No need to get so riled up. I haven't come here on any orders nor do I have any reasons for fighting you people."

"Then let me go!' Aurora snarled, squirming in the grip of whatever the hell had her.

The woman set her gaze solely on her for a moment as words slipped past her lips like poison, "When it comes to you, Miss Batavi, I cannot take any chances." There was a snap and Aurora's face twisted but no sound came from her as she was dropped to the deck, holding her left arm close to her chest.

"Bitch," the redhead bit vehemently, eyes burning a whole straight through the woman's head.

It seemed as though the woman had a lot of arrogance because she didn't stop at breaking Aurora's arm. She went for Luffy's hat, putting the old accessory on her own cowboy styled hat.

"HEY! WHAT'D YOU DO TO RORY?! AND GIMME BACK MY HAT! SO YOU ARE TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH US, ARE YA NOW!? I'VE NOW DECIDED TO SEE YOU AS MY ENEMY SO COME AT ME!"

"How unfortunate," All-Sunday says. "Small-time pirates having to look after a princess targeted by the entire Baroque Works organization… and a lone princess having to entrust herself a few small-time pirates… and a disgraced runaway. But above all, how unfortunate your route pointed out by your log pose is!" Aurora took to her feet, clenching her molars so tight she was afraid they might crack under the pressure.

This woman—this Miss All-Sunday—has royally pissed her off. She was now officially on her shit list.

"The name of the next place on your journey is called "Little Garden". Even if I weren't to lay a single finger on you, it's more than likely that you'd still never reach Alabasta! Without even meeting Crocodile, the curtains will close on your mission and lives."

"AS IF WE'D JUST ROLL OVER AND DIE! NOW GIMME BACK MY HAT!"

"Yeah, how dare you! Y-You big meanie!'

"Hey," Aurora called, making sure to mask her pain with a blank slate. When she made sure that Miss All-Sunday's eyes were on her and she was listening, the redhead said in the calmest voice she was able to muster, "give my Captain his hat back."

There was an underlining threat to the sentence and All-Sunday's smile widened (even if was only a fraction). "Fine then." With a flick, the old straw hat was back home on Luffy's head and there was a pose in Vivi's hands. "For you to know of the difficulty that lies ahead and still rush in is an act fit for only fools."

"An eternal pose?"

"You'll be able to skip right over your future troubles with that," the woman explained. "The needle of that log pose points to an obscure uninhabited island located right before Alabasta. Moreover, the route you'll be navigating on is unknown to Baroque Works so you won't be followed by anyone either."

"What? Is she not a bad person then?" Nami questioned.

"W-Why would you give such a thing to me?!" Vivi was truly befuddled. She didn't know what to think.

"It's probably a trap," Zoro said after a pause.

All-Sunday didn't take offense. Instead, she even played on the idea itself. "Oh, I wonder about that…"

It was obvious that Vivi was tore up about the prospect of a new and possibly safe route. But what if it was a trap? But what if it wasn't? If it was a trap then that would mean that the Straw Hats failed and she would die. But if it wasn't, if All-Sunday was really giving them an out, then that would mean that the Straw Hats' lives wouldn't be in certain peril. Before Vivi could even make a decision, the pose was snatched out of her hands. Shocked, she followed the hand and watched as Luffy crushed it.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?" Nami kicked the boy in the cheek, sending him to the floor. "She came out all the way here to give us the safest route to Alabasta! What are you going to do if she does turn out to be a good person?!"

"Don't you dare think that you can choose the path of our journey!" Luffy yelled back in retaliation. But he wasn't yelling at Nami nor at Vivi; his words were meant for the woman who killed Igaram.

Despite the events, All-Sunday seemed please with the declaration. "I see. How unfortunate." Standing, All-Sunday continued. "Well, I don't dislike bold men… let us meet again soon if you survive."

"I don't wanna!" Luffy retorted back like a petulant child.

Miss All-Sunday was off Merry as quick as she was on, revealing that she had ridden on the back of a turtle to reach them.

Wincing, Aurora crouched beside Vivi when the blue haired female collapsed, wrapping her good arm around the princess. "That woman! I don't have the faintest idea what she's really planning!" The redhead guided Vivi's head so it would rest agains the crook of her neck, chin setting on top of her head.

"Then it's a waste of time and effort to think about it," Nami piped in.

"We've got an incomprehensible person like her onboard too, you know," Zoro chimed.

"Hey! Explain the situation to us!" Usopp yelled, irritated beyond belief that when he woke up, he had to deal with this crap. How did this visit go from partying and having the time of his life to this mess? There are people after them? People that want to kill them?

"Will Miss Wednesday be joining our crew~?"

"I said explain what's going on already!"

"I'm so sorry for everything," Vivi whispered into Aurora's skin. The redhead said nothing, just brought her the girl closer to her. Vivi took comfort in Aurora's silence, relishing in it. "Are you really alright with me riding on your ship? I may be putting all of you into danger."

"Oh please," Nami scoffed, hands on her hips. "Even though it was Aurora that told us about Crocodile, it was really you that jumpstarted this whole thing. If you didn't want to trouble us, then you shouldn't have blabbed." Aurora snorted softly, sunrise eyes looking at Nami. Everything that the carrot top was saying was true, but she meant no real harm. "Right, Luffy?"

"It's morning! Sanji! Time for breakfast!"

"Look, he doesn't even care." Ah, there was the point.

Aurora ushered the young female up on her feet, slinging her arm around her shoulders. "Everythin's gonna be alright," she murmured reassuringly. "I swear to you, Vivi." Vivi looked into Aurora's eyes, her weird eyes that use to scare her when she was younger, but looks to them for warmth now. Vivi looks at the woman the redhead has become, sees the scars and hard muscles and the look in her eyes and Vivi wonders what had happened to her friend.

What happened to the little girl that looked for mischief, delighting herself in the temporary misery and anger of other people? Where's the little girl who grinned so brightly, so carefree at her the first time they met? The little girl that would hum a tune, the same tune, when she was concentrating on something or when it was quiet and the space needed to be filled with something jolly; the girl with nothing on her shoulders and the world bowing before her.

When they reach the privacy of the infirmary, Vivi clings to her friend; clings to the female that grew into this warrior. She clings to Aurora, warmth enveloping her. Vivi swore that if she closed her eyes and thought hard enough, it was like it was back when they were kids.

Even back then, Aurora had always managed to make Vivi feel better.

And that's why Vivi let loose the sobs she's been holding back since joining Baroque Works.


Okay, it's been what? Since February that I last updated?

alright, I'm sorry. Really I am. To be completely honest, life just sort of got in the way. I have finished my first year of college and now there's just one more year to go until I transfer (whoop) and now break is underway. However, I've been on break since May 10th and I've had the first bit of this chapter in my files, waiting around, getting dusty, so it could be taken up again. But dudes, I've just gotten caught up in reading all the books I bought.

Especially It, but I won't go into such boring details.

I just want you guys to know that I am back in action and I will be making sure to bring you more chapters. Also, "Infirm of purpose" is from Macbeth and I couldn't help but use it.

Also, here's the (much) longer chapter I promised you guys! I hoped you all enjoyed~!

Drop me a review and tell me how I did, whether you liked it or not, or how I can improve.

Thanks! And I'll be sure to go back and fix all the mistakes my eyes missed at the moment.